Two parents’ dreams are about to come true as they prepare to send their son Harrison Martin to primary school for the first time, after battling life threatening health problems his whole life.
Anna and Richard welcomed their son on November 4, 2018, a perfect moment for the family, but two days later the parents discovered their son was extremely unwell.
After years of hospital admissions and plenty of scary moments , Harrison was placed on the transplant list and luckily received a liver transplant.
Now three years later, Harrison is excited to be starting school at St Mary’s Altona.
“He blossomed after the transplant, we saw incredible improvement straight away,” she said.
“We started spending less time in hospital and had more time for learning, we never thought we would be able to even send him to kindergarten.”
Riddled with nerves before the school term starts, Anna and Richard are happy above anything else.
“St Mary’s have been amazing and we are so grateful for the community’s support,” she said.
Times like these allow Anna to reflect on how lucky her family was to receive this transplant, and encourages all to consider becoming a donor.
“I think it’s just one of the most amazing and selfless things that someone can do,” she said.
“What a legacy to leave behind if you become an organ donor, I don’t know many people who wouldn’t want to save multiple lives.
“Those donated organs give a life to someone who wouldn’t have had a life, which is so powerful, Harry would not have gone to kindergarten or school without this.”
DonateLife Victoria is urging people to register as an organ and tissue donor and to tell their family.
Details: donatelife.gov.au
Jennifer Pittorino
